More Phantoms for Israel

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33254, 18 June 1973, Page 13

More Phantoms for Israel

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, June 16.

The United States has reached an agreement to sell to Israel about 80 more Phantom and Skyhawk fighterbombers over the next four years, according to informed Congressional sources.

They say that the agreement implements an understanding reached when the Israeli Prime Minister (Mrs Meir) met President Nixon in Washington on March 1.

The United States disclosed two weeks ago that she was discussing the sale of a limited number of Phantoms to Arab States for the first time, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The new agreement with Israel would provide assurances that the Jewish State would have access to American aircraft supplies for several years, the Congressional sources say, adding that the time-table involves selling Israel a total of 48 Phantoms at the rate of one a month. These would be in addition to the 120 Phantoms Israel has purchased under previous agreements. I The sources say that the

State Department officials today said that they had no information about the reported agreement with Israel, and an Israeli Embassy official said: “No comment.”

new agreement also includes the sale of 36 Skyhawks, primarily a ground-support aircraft. Under existing contracts, Israel is due to buy 200 of this type of aircraft.

The new accord is likely to damoen the somewhat (scattered opposition in Con[gress to the sale of Phantoms to Arab nations, political observers say. Administration officials who have told Congressional committees in recent weeks that they do not feel that the sale of a limited number of jets to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait would alter the Middle East arms balance against Israel, did not mention any new agreements.